When it all Falls Down
by PinkDragonStrike
Summary: As a young teen, Sesshoumaru faces the greatest turning point in his life. Why is it that when you kill an innocent human and your father finds out everything seems to all fall down? It's my first story so please review! Anon reviews are welcome :
1. Chapter 1: Inside Looking Out

When it all Falls Down: _**As a young teen, Sesshoumaru faces the greatest turning point in his life. Why is it that when you kill an innocent human and your father finds out everything seems to all fall down?**_

_**Disclaimer: Shhhh…I don't own any of the characters of Inuyasha (they belong to Rumiko Takahashi) but I do own Nakimi's character and Kisime's name so don't sue me or anything ok! **_

_**The ages of demons mentioned are based on appearance in human years but we know better, I just didn't want to guesstimate the 100s or 1000s for that matter. **_

_**Sesshoumaru may seem a little out of character at some points but please keep in mind that he's not but 13 in this story and I'm trying to develop his character into the Sesshoumaru we know and love today. So without further adieu…**_

_**Chapter 1-Inside Looking Out**_

The castle halls were quiet. The elaborate paintings of the many generations of powerful inu youkai hung about the walls. The most recent family's portrait hung closest to Inutaisho's study where he and his son resided at the moment. Sesshomaru sat at the window watching the calm outdoors. Birds sang and danced through the air with the sun's bright glow giving the sakura trees a dreamy appearance. Inutaisho sat at his desk completing paper work and writing out other orders.

"Sesshoumaru" the older demon said

"Yes Father" the younger responded, "What are you thinking my son?"

Sesshoumaru turned slightly to face his father's direction. "Nothing in particular father, why do you ask?

"Sesshoumaru, I am not holding you here against your will. We finished your training some time ago. I hardly expect a pup of no more than 13 to be interested in foreign affairs. You are bored here are you not?"

True enough Sesshoumaru was bored but he knew that his closest friend and older sister, as he thought of her, was not around that day. Nakimi was the daughter of his father's closest friend. She was also an inuyoukai and was about 16. She and Sesshoumaru loved to challenge each other and her being older evened the score since he didn't have any other males around that were close enough in age to challenge. Nakimi wasn't just a sparring partner though, she was an advisor and the person he turned to a lot. His mother of course was always there but her moods were a challenge. At times she would offer guidance and be straight forward while other times she talked in what seemed like riddles and acted as if she didn't care. He knew that his mother loved him, there was no questioning that but she herself was young when she had had him, no more than the age of Nakimi and the way that things worked with arranged marriages it was no wonder she did not keep close tabs on his father. She felt as if she had done her duty and wanted to mostly be left alone. He loved his mother but often wasn't sure which personality he would encounter so he would avoid asking her for advice except when necessary.

"I…hmm" Sesshoumaru didn't want to admit that he was bored. He was disciplined in the art of withholding his feelings. He really didn't want to leave because he didn't want to be alone at the moment.

Inutaisho watched his son struggle with his thoughts but knew that it was best for the pup to get used to being alone. He knew that Sesshoumaru hated when Nakimi wasn't around but Nakimi had to learn the ways of caring for the home and being a wife and mother just as Sesshoumaru had to train and protect the Western lands. He also knew that Sesshoumaru had developed a certain dislike toward humans and wasn't sure if he were ready to tell him what he had told Kisime (Sesshoumaru's mother) about the human woman Izaiyoi. Kisime had put up little fight over the matter because she had never fallen in love with her husband and only viewed him as a caretaker and somewhat of a friend. Both of them and even Sesshoumaru had understood this as he got older. It was only a matter of time before he found another woman to be with despite the fact that the marriage between he and Kisime would always be valid, there was no escaping that!

"Sesshoumaru go, occupy your time with other things. You know that Nakimi is almost at mating age and will not spend as much time around the castle with you. She will soon leave here for good so you must get used to not having her around. In fact I wish for you to go and explore the grounds and familiarize yourself with the surrounding villages. But do not disturb the people there. You shall go unnoticed."

Sesshoumaru's eyes immediately lifted from the floor to his father's eyes. "I'm not afraid to be alone" he almost said as if he were protesting. He had felt all types of emotions after his father had only reminded him of the inevitable. He already missed Nakimi but he hadn't wanted his father to know how attached he had become to the young female. Then his father had added insult to injury when he suggested, no commanded, him to leave and observe the human villages. He couldn't figure out why his father had cared so much about them. The humans were lowly creatures as his mother had explained and weren't really worth a second look. They were no better than the lowly demons that ate them. They could have all been lumped into the same group for all he cared.

"I never said you were" Inutaisho responded. Sesshoumaru was only good at hiding his emotions up to the point at which caring for humans was mentioned as his father noticed. Inutaisho watched his son slide off the ledge by the window with a certain look of sadness and disgust written on his face. Sesshoumaru was still young and often still used a bit more body language than was necessary to communicate that he didn't want to do what he was told. Inutaisho almost smirked at his son, for he knew that the sliding motion was the communication 'Father please change your mind and let me stay because I really don't want to go and observe humans for the better part of the day'. But the general held his ground and turned back to his work.

"Don't dawdle Sesshoumaru, go on, I will not repeat myself".

Sesshoumaru mentally cursed knowing that there was no staying "Yes Father".

Inutaisho could hear the slight grumble that left his son and would have almost said that he were pouting if he wasn't thirteen. Inutaisho chuckled a bit and shook his head.

As Sesshoumaru exited the room he figured he would see his mother before he left for the day. He usually paid her a daily visit if only just to say hello.

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I need to say that this story assumes that the reader knows what Sesshoumaru and his mother and father look like from the anime, manga and movies.

Preview for Ch. 2 - Discoveries and Emotions - let's just say that Sesshoumaru finds out something he didn't want to know

This is my first fanfiction so please review it and let me know what you think. I welcome all reviews good or bad it will only make me better. I already have more chapters waiting so if I get back at least 1 review I'll be happy as a clown to continue posting the chapters :)


	2. Chapter 2: Discoveries and Emotions

_**Chapter 2-Discoveries and Emotions**_

He knocked gently on the wall.

"You may enter Sesshoumaru" of course Kisime could smell him a mile away, literally. Kisime sat on a small bench, reading. "Hello mother" "Hello Sesshoumaru, did your training go well this morning?" "Yes, I just wanted to inform you that I will be gone to observe the neighboring villages for much of the day". "Hmm…your father's orders no doubt. Has he told you about Izaiyoi yet?" "Izaiyoi?" He responded with one eyebrow lifted and a side cocked head.

"Oh my!" Kisime realized that she had let the question slip forgetting that she was to only allow Inutaisho to inform their son of her. She hadn't realized that he hadn't told their son at least her name by now. It had been almost three months!

"Who is Izaiyoi mother?" Kisime thought for a moment. Her son was very curious and if he couldn't get it out of her he would run back to his father to get the explanation. She didn't want Taisho to know that she had failed him because it would only lead to another argument that she didn't care to have. Sesshoumaru however, was good at keeping a secret, so why not.

"Sesshoumaru come and sit with me for a moment". He nodded and complied as she set her reading material down.

"As you know your father and I are not in love, we merely joined in union to have you. Your father has been…seeing another woman whom he may have fallen in love with."

"Is that all…why would he not tell me about her?" Sesshoumaru interrupted

"Sesshoumaru" his mother continued "…she is not an inuyoukai..." Kisime began to struggle with how she would put the next few words.

"Mother?", Sesshoumaru asked narrowing his eyes almost knowing what would come out of his mother's mouth next but not wanting to believe it. Kisime glanced at Sesshoumaru giving him a slight pursed lip smile then sighed and looked away.

"She is a human princess my child". Sesshoumaru's mind went blank. He sat looking at his mother as if she was supposed to say something else but nothing came.

"NO" he replied forcefully. Sesshoumaru was now standing and pacing. "Mother how could he? He cannot do this! Humans are weak simple minded creatures and he has fallen in love with one?"

"Sesshoumaru please, gather yourself and come here" his mother commanded. Sesshoumaru paced a few times more and then did as he was told.

"Sesshoumaru even though I dislike humans, your father has made his own decision. We have no right to stand between he and Izaiyoi. I was not even supposed to tell you of her, that was to be your father's task. You must keep this a secret. He is not to know that you know of Izaiyoi yet. Is that understood?"

"But mother how could you…" he was cut off by his mother's raised voice "I said is that understood?" "Yes mother" Sesshoumaru responded, looking down as if his mother had betrayed him.

"Sesshoumaru…I want you to know that I do not agree with your father being in love with a human but I respect your father's wishes and I expect that you shall do the same." Sesshoumaru nodded but his face was now full of emotions. He was angry, sad, disappointed and worst of all he could not confront his father about it.

"Sesshoumaru you must promise me that you will not let this slip!" "I promise mother" he responded through clenched teeth.

Sesshoumaru got up to leave and his mother caught his wrist. He looked over his shoulder at her. They met eyes and he could tell that she was serious about every word that she had spoken. His mother then closed her eyes and squeezed his wrist slightly before letting go and waving him away.

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This chapter is super short but the next one is a bit longer

Preview CH 3 - Deadly Anger - Sesshoumaru lets his anger get the best of him and does something he will soon regret!


	3. Chapter 3: Deadly Anger

_**Chapter 3-Deadly Anger**_

Sesshoumaru walked briskly over the grounds ignoring the guards who greeted him as he exited. He was beyond angry, he was furious. Rage was welling up inside of him at his mother's words and his father's decision. Where was Nakimi when he needed her so much right now?

Sesshoumaru was nearly done with his rounds of observing the villages as his father had instructed. Each village that he passed by he wondered if that Izaiyoi woman was in it. Each village served as a reminder of what he had just heard. As he turned to head back home he smelled smoke coming from one of the farthest villages to the Southeast of the Western lands. He hurried toward the smoky village bounding through the trees and running. He neared the village but stayed hidden within the forest just above it to observe what was going on. The village huts were on fire and the humans were scattered about, frantic trying to save their children and other belongings. Some had already died. It was obvious that a huge group of bandits had attacked the village and had stolen as much as they could. The fire could have either been set by the bandits or was accidental among the chaos. Either way, to Sesshoumaru it didn't matter but he was curious. He leapt down to the village edge close to a hut that was on fire. The bandits had fled. One of the villagers noticed Sesshoumaru. Many knew that Inutaisho protected the villages against bandits and demons and recognized Sesshoumaru as the son who would rule the Western lands some day.

"Prince Sesshoumaru please help us" The village leader requested in a panic

"Our village has been attacked. We will all be out of a home. Many have lost their lives already".

Sesshoumaru looked at the elderly man. He had a limp and was bleeding from his left shoulder. Sesshoumaru was angry at his request to say the least. They were just attacked by their own kind. It only showed how ignorant their kind was. Then his thoughts went to that Izaiyoi woman again. Perhaps if she resided in the village and were killed from the fire he would be rid of her. Sesshoumaru turned away from the old man without saying a word and began to walk away.

"My prince, are you going to get your father's help?" The old man asked as he limped after Sesshoumaru. Some of the other villagers watched on as they too remained hopeful that Sesshoumaru would return with his father.

The young youkai hadn't planned to respond until he felt the old man place his blood stained hand on his shoulder. Sesshoumaru felt the anger he had been holding inside him boil over. He had reached his wits end. An inner anger exploded. He felt the need to kill something to equalize his pain. He wanted to transfer his pain and anger onto something or better yet someone. Without thinking he spun on the old man, his eyes a fierce red. His claws dug into the man's wrist, lifting him slightly, though his feet still drug the ground, and his other hand went straight through the man's gut. The shocked expression on the man's face and the shock of the villagers brought Sesshoumaru back to his senses.

'What am I doing?' he said to himself. 'This man was innocent, a victim to someone else's crime who only sought help.'

Sesshoumaru became confused and dropped the man to the ground. He knew that he was dead. He looked at the villagers who were in shock and backing away. Sesshoumaru looked at himself, blood was on his hands and had splattered over his body. Still a pup he turned and ran. The leaves near the ground where the man had been left moved as a small insect jumped from them and onto Sesshoumaru's pelt.

It seemed like he had been running for hours before he stopped. His chest moved up and down rapidly unable to slow his breathing. He had stopped by a small stream and could see his reflection. Blood was also splattered over his face. Frantic to remove it Sesshoumaru started to splash the water against his face and rub the blood away with his sleeve. He cleaned the rest from his hakama and haori using his under shirt. He had frightened himself with all the rage and surely he couldn't let his father find out that he had killed an innocent villager. If he told his father about the burning village he would come and be able to pick up his scent on the dead man. He couldn't tell him.

The tiny insect on Sesshoumaru's pelt was none other than Myoga, the trusted flee demon of Inutaisho. He was somewhat of a scout for different lands and brought back news of trouble or incidences. Myoga was at a loss as to how he was going to break the news to Inutaisho that his son had not only failed to aid the villagers in a time of need but had killed an innocent. He watched the young prince struggle with his emotions.

Sesshoumaru was now sitting with his legs drawn close to his chest, he rested his crossed arms on his knees with his head down. 'I have to go back; otherwise the guards will come looking for me'. Sesshoumaru could feel the knot that had developed in his throat and the tears that threatened to fall but he held them in. He stood and gathered himself, still not realizing that Myoga was there, he made his way back home.

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I'm hoping that because Myoga is such a small flea demon and because Sess is distraught, that that's reason enough for him not to notice Myoga!

Preview CH 4 - Weary Return: Sesshoumaru looks like a ghost and Inutaisho knows something is up?!

Please continue to read and review. I'm probably going to post two to three chapters a week.


	4. Chapter 4: Weary Return

_**Chapter 4-Weary Return**_

"Prince Sesshoumaru"…one of the guards spoke as Sesshoumaru walked inside the castle. "Yes" Sesshoumaru responded, thrown out of his own thoughts. "Your father wishes to speak with you in the study". Sesshoumaru nodded then swallowed the knot that had jumped back into his throat. 'Could he know already, surely he couldn't know'. His heart thumped and he could have sworn it skipped a few beats as he came to the door of the study. "Sesshoumaru come in" came the deep voice from behind the door.

"How was your day of observation? You stayed out longer than I anticipated."

Sesshoumaru let out a sigh but the nerves were still there. "Everything went fine father. Nothing special in particular" he lied

Inutaisho turned to look at his son. His eyebrows furrowed at Sesshoumaru's paleness. Whatever had happened outside of the castle walls was not good if Sesshoumaru looked like a ghost.

"What happened out there Sesshoumaru?" his voice deeper and commanding

Sesshoumaru swallowed. The knot had come back again but he felt that he needed to stay true to his story. "No…nothing father, I'm just tired is all". Sesshoumaru couldn't even look in his father's direction but instead turned his attention to some old dusty scrolls on the shelf to his right.

Inutaisho put down the brush, leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sesshoumaru, you know the consequences of lying to me do you not?" His son nodded

"Then I would suggest you make the truth known and look at me when I speak to you" Sesshoumaru snapped his head to his father's face and swallowed again at the harshness of his voice.

"Please father, I just wish to rest. I am telling you the truth. Everything went well". He had managed to get the whole lie out without looking from his father's face.

Inutaisho sat there for a moment contemplating his pup's words. He knew that Sesshoumaru was still lying but about what he did not know. However, without any other evidence to accuse him he excused his son for the night. As Sesshoumaru passed him he sniffed trying to smell anything out of the ordinary. What was strange about his sent was the smell of smoke that lingered ever so slightly. It was almost summer so there would have been no reason for him to create a fire to keep warm and he had eaten before he left. "Hmm…". Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder but kept walking. His father knew something was not right.

Inutaisho went back to his work but was disturbed only moments later by a slight sting to his neck. He slapped his hand onto the flea that had decided to take a drink of his blood.

"Well now Myoga…what news do you bring today?". "Hello my lord", came the muffled response as he popped back into place. "I'm afraid the news is not so good. Ryuukotsei is up to his old antics again and the cat demons are still plotting against you." "Myoga please, that is not news that is fact, is there anything else." "Well…" Myoga lowered his chin onto his small fist trying to think of how to put the events that he saw that day. He didn't wish to simply rat out the young prince but he couldn't let what he saw go unnoticed either. "Spit it out Myoga, I have much to attend to." "My lord one of the villages to the southeast was vandalized and set on fire today. Many of the villagers died and many are without homes now. I fear I do not know what they will do my lord." "What?" his voiced raised "I told Sesshoumaru to observe the area, did you see him at all nearby?" "Well, my lord…" "Well what Myoga, was he or wasn't he close by?"

"He was…however; I think that it would be best if you were to take a look at the site to see what I mean." Myoga replied

"Fine, I will scout the grounds tomorrow. It is far too late tonight". Inutaisho responded. Myoga blew out a sigh. At least Inutaisho would figure out what happened on his own rather than him ratting out the pup. The heavens would not have had any sleep that night if he had told him the whole story.

However, one person was definitely not sleeping that night.

Sesshoumaru tossed and turned in his bed. Each time he closed his eyes he could see the shock on the old man's face then the blood and the reflection of himself in the stream. The images kept playing over as if he were in a nightmare. After the sixth round Sesshoumaru laid there awake. Maybe Nakimi had returned for the night.

He crept down the hall to her room and entered. She had returned and was asleep.

"Nakimi" Sesshoumaru whispered and tapped her on the shoulder crouching down to see her face to face. She was very pretty. Her features held those similar to Kisime but the stripes that adorned each cheek were pink and there was no crescent moon. She wore her long, thick silver hair in a braid most of the time but it was currently in a loose bun for her to sleep in.

Nakimi blinked a few times to clear her vision, and then rubbed her eyes with her right hand. "Sesshoumaru what are you doing in here? It's the middle of the night." Nakimi whispered. "Please Nakimi, you have to hear me out!" "What?" "Just listen, this is serious". "Ok, just stay calm". Nakimi sat up. She was one of the few people that Sesshoumaru showed this much emotion to and if he thought it was serious it must be.

"Ok, I'm listening, tell me what happened."

Nakimi listened as Sesshoumaru recounted the details of the day leaving out the conversation he had had with his mother about Izaiyoi. Nakimi was wide eyed as he finished. She knew how lord Inutaisho felt about protecting the humans. She knew that if he found out what Sesshoumaru had done he was going to be very angry. Most incidences like that by regular demons in his presence were punishable by banishment to the caves behind the castle and even death!

"Sesshoumaru you have to tell your father. By lying to him you have only made it worse. At least if you tell him yourself he will respect your honor for it." "Nakimi, I can't. My father is not reasonable when it comes to the humans. I have killed humans before but it was in defense of myself. Even then he scolded me but let it go. This one was innocent. He didn't even attack me or the villagers; he just wanted me to help him". Sesshoumaru crossed his arms on Nakimi's bed and laid his head down on them, closing his eyes and wishing that he had never killed the man. Nakimi stroked his forehead causing the bangs to lift and show the crescent moon.

"I wish that I knew what to tell you Sesshoumaru. I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you this time." "It's alright Nakimi, just you being here to listen helped". Nakimi faintly smiled to help reassure him but she knew that when Inutaisho found out, and he would, that there would be hell to pay.

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I like this chapter in particular because I think it shows that Sess wasn't always emotionless or without a friend unlike his character in the manga and anime leads us to believe. :)

There's more to come.

Preview CH 5- Unbelievable Truth: Inutaisho makes a trip to a village and what does he find?


	5. Chapter 5: Unbelievable Truth

_**Chapter 5-Unbelievable Truth**_

Inutaisho woke the next morning quite early and left the castle grounds to head to the Southeastern village of the Western lands. He soon came to the village. It was burned and the scent of smoke still lingered in the air. Death surrounded him but there was one scent that he recognized. The scent had not gone through the village but stayed at the edge near a burned hut to his left. He strode over. An old man lay dead on the ground. Marks of a demon's claws were dug into his wrist and a hole through his stomach. His heart began to ache but his anger began to grow. He bent down and lifted the wrist. Cautiously he sniffed it hoping that his senses were playing tricks on him. He confirmed the scent then closed his eyes. His anger built even more when he recognized the old man as the leader of the village and his son's scent on the man's wrist and stomach.

Myoga hopped onto Inutaisho's shoulder. "My lord?" "Myoga, you saw the scene yesterday. How is my son connected to the leader of this village?" "Well my lord…" "The truth, Myoga, NOW!"

Myoga knew that he knew what happened and was angry but wanted the details. "My lord your son showed up. Prince Sesshoumaru appeared to have already been angry about something else. When the leader placed his hand on the pup's shoulder to plead for help from you he turned on the man. It all happened in a blink my lord. The pup's eyes were red with rage. He grabbed the man by the wrist and plunged his hand through the old man's stomach."

Inutaisho was in a rage to say the least. Myoga hung onto his pelt for dear life as the great youkai took off back toward the castle. 'So that was the faint smell of smoke that came from him yesterday and the reason for his paleness. He'll be happy to be standing when I'm done with him.'

…

Sesshoumaru had woken the next morning. He pulled his hair out of the top knot that he had slept in and made his way down the hall. He was a little groggy from the little sleep he had received the night before but would make up for it since there was no training scheduled for that day.

Sesshoumaru usually greeted his father in the morning in the kitchen or the main room but he was not in either. Strange he thought, he was always in one of those two places unless he was traveling and he hadn't informed him that he was. Sesshoumaru's heart skipped a beat recounting the events of the day before. Had his father found out about the village and gone to inspect what had happened? It was possible because Myoga was always out scouting. He grabbed a piece of fruit, though it really wasn't his first choice, and ate it. The servants were busy doing their daily chores and all seemed quiet for the moment. Allowing the prior events to slip from his mind he decided to see what Nakimi was doing. He made his way to her room and greeted her. They sat and spoke for a while trying to forget the conversation that had happened the night before.

…

Inutaisho strode up to the castle and jumped the wall not even waiting for the guards to let him in. The guards were shocked but knew better than to say anything. The dog lord was angry and it showed. Whoever he was after was inside the castle, which was not good.

"Where is Sesshoumaru?" Inutaisho's voice roared through the main room and kitchen. "My lord I believe he is in Nakimi's room", one of the servants replied almost shaking. Inutaisho left the room quickly. The dog lord had never been this angry with his son before. The servants glanced at each other and frowned. Though the prince was a bit cold at times they cared for his well-being, and hoped that he would be a great ruler like his father some day.

Sesshoumaru sensed and heard his father's rage. He could feel the blood slowly draining from his face as everything went cold. Nakimi put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him for she even felt the anger within the dog lord. Sesshoumaru stood in order to better confront his father and explain what happened.

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This chapter is terribly short but the next ones are longer I promise. Please continue to read and review

Preview CH 6 - No Mercy: Ummm, I don't really know what to put, I think the title is somewhat self explanatory so read on!


	6. Chapter 6: No Mercy

_**Chapter 6-No Mercy**_

Inutaisho entered the room and seemed bigger to the pup than ever. The elder's eyes were nearing red and before Sesshoumaru could take a step forward he was caught by the throat and slammed up against the wall by his father's hand, throwing the air out of him. Nakimi's scream could be heard in the background.

"So you think that you can take an innocent life so long as it is a human's? Answer me!" The voice was heated and venomous. "No father" the frightened pup struggled out. He was then forcefully thrown to the ground taking more air away from him.

"Tell me the truth Sesshoumaru. Did you or did you not kill the leader of that village after he pleaded for your help? Answer me pup!"

Sesshoumaru sat up at this point coughing and choking back tears. He was trying to cover the shock on his face and avoid his father's eyes, for he knew his next answer to the question was only going to bring further pain. "Yes…but father, please…" Before he could get the plea out he was snatched up and thrown out of the room and into the wall of the hall.

Nakimi simply sat in shock, knowing not to get involved in such a matter. The servants had stopped and listened at the first sounds of struggling. They knew that if his anger was directed at Sesshoumaru something was gravely wrong.

"Father please wait, listen to me...". "Sesshoumaru you did not listen when that man asked you for help so there is no reason for me to listen to your pleas. YOU KILLED AN INNOCENT MAN." The shout could be heard through the halls and it was then that the servants and even Kisime knew what had happened. This was between Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru and it would stay that way.

Inutaisho roughly grabbed Sesshoumaru's arm and yanked him into standing position close to his face. "I assure you, after I'm done with you, you will never think of taking another innocent's life again" the dog lord spat. Sesshoumaru was only trying to steady his shaking at the moment and couldn't even look at his father's face.

Kisime walked to her doorway. "My lord?" she asked with worried eyes. She could see the fear on Sesshoumaru's face despite the fact that he was trying to hide it and if Taisho kept the grip that she thought he had on the pup's arm it would bruise.

"Kisime, if you have not already heard, your son has decided to start killing innocents. This matter does not concern you." "So be it." She responded knowing that there was no challenging his decision once it was final. "Be strong Sesshoumaru and learn from your father's punishment". She knew that it would be a long torturous day for the pup. "Mother..." Sesshoumaru pleaded, hoping that she would be more understanding and save him from his father's wrath. She merely dropped her head slightly and shook it with her eyes closed. Sesshoumaru knew then, that she would do nothing to stop his father.

"Out to the courtyard" his father commanded while swinging him away from his mother's view and pushing him forward.

Sesshoumaru made his way to the courtyard with his father not far behind. "Remove the top" His father commanded. The pup knew what was about to happen but couldn't believe that it was going to be done to him. He had seen some of the servants whipped when they failed to follow orders but never thought it would happen to him. He thought he was above such treatment.

Taking off the top slowly he turned to his father. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes at the mention of the unceremonious taking off of the top. "Father please it won't happen again. I'm sorry for killing the village leader". "Sesshoumaru, did you not hear me. I said remove the top. You will not go unpunished. If you weren't my son you may have already been dead." Sesshoumaru removed the rest of the top and placed his hands against the wall hoping somehow that that would help.

He could feel his father's energy forming into the light whip. The pain that ran through his back the first time nearly sent him into darkness. His father was not just using the whip he was forcing it. At the eighth hit Sesshoumaru gave in to yelling. There were no new spaces for the whip to hit his back and it had begun to re hit the same wounds causing terrible pain. His cheeks were stained with tears and the servants couldn't help but peek from time to time out of the window to make sure the poor pup was still alive. Even the servant's lashings had stopped at ten but Inutaisho was nearing twenty with his own pup. By the time Inutaisho had stopped Sesshoumaru was near the ground. He hadn't the strength to stand any longer.

Inutaisho retracted the light whip into his claws. 'I am sorry my son but I must stop you now. If I let you continue to believe that humans are worthless creatures you will never become a great ruler. You must learn to show a merciful and compassionate heart for every life that you take, human and demon alike'.

"Get your top back on. I'm not finished with you yet! Meet me in the main room when you've wiped that crap off of your face. If you do not show within the next few moments I will hunt you down like the ragged mutt you have become. You disgrace me".

A light drizzle began to fall as the pup sat there for a few moments hunched over and trying to stop the tears. His father's words had stung him worse than the whip. 'A ragged mutt, a disgrace, he wasn't finished yet?' He had imagined that the punishment would be bad but not like this, not like this!

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Ok, so yes, poor Sesshy had it coming. I'm trying to keep Inutaisho in the context of angry father rather than child abuser, that's why I pulled in some of Inutaisho's thoughts behind his actions. Anywho, please continue to read and review :)

Preview CH 7 - Passing Judgement: Inutaisho wants to know the real meaning behind Sesshoumaru's behavior...what's the verdict?


	7. Chapter 7: Passing Judgement

_**Chapter 7-Passing Judgement**_

Nakimi watched her friend from the window and had witnessed the entire beating. She was upset but was powerless to stop it. Tears ran from her eyes. Even Kisime had come in to try and comfort the girl. Kisime had opted not to watch because the screams were enough. "Sesshoumaru is tough, Nakimi. He will endure and he will learn from this". Though the words were coming from Kisime's mouth she herself was having a hard time believing that Sesshoumaru would come out of this punishment ok.

Sesshoumaru picked up the haori next to him and slipped it on flinching as it brushed over his back. He pulled his wet hair into a top knot to keep it from sticking to his face then wiped his face with his sleeves. As he began to stand he realized that he didn't have much strength to do so and stumbled back down a few times. Whimpering slightly he refused to have to let his father come back out to beat him into standing so he mustered up every bit of strength he had and steadied himself against the wall. He walked slowly back inside stopping to rest every few moments against the wall. He had forgotten the time limit his father had set and didn't know how long it would take him to get to the main room at the pace he was going. The servants passed by with worried looks but did not help as they feared for their own lives. On top of it all, Sesshoumaru's vision was beginning to wane. He wasn't accustomed to being struck so many times and his body just couldn't take it. Sesshoumaru's knees hit the floor and he put his hand over his eyes as if trying to clear his vision by blocking out the light.

"Sesshoumaru you've got ten counts" the heavy voice resounded. He knew that he would never make it unless he ran but he wasn't even sure if he had the strength to stand. Nevertheless he got to his feet and put them into motion the best he could. "Six, Five, Four, Three" The pup was frantic. He knew his father knew he was inside and no more than maybe fifty yards from the main room but he did it out of spite anyway. "Two, One, Ze…" Sesshoumaru hit the floor panting and aching. Not even having the energy to pick himself up he just laid there at his father's feet.

"Get up" his father commanded. Sesshoumaru felt the pain in his back throb and once again he tried to pick himself up. Every muscle in his body screamed and spasmed as if in protest of his movement. Inutaisho's patience was wearing thin and he grabbed the pup by the collar yanking him upward. Sesshoumaru stood on two unsteady legs and was now truly wondering if his father would make the mistake of killing him before the day was over.

"When I say get up, you get up. Is that understood?" "Yes father" the pup responded wavering a bit and trying to regain his balance.

"Now, you will answer each question that I ask you. If I believe that you are lying you will suffer the consequences so I suggest you tell the truth".

Sesshoumaru knew that this was coming. Every time he got into trouble there was always a question and answer session. It was somewhat like a trial except his father played the judge, the jury and the plaintiff. He was always the defendant and he always lost. It was simply done to establish how bad the real punishment was going to be.

"Sesshoumaru did you do as I asked and observe each of the villages to my instructions?"

This of course was a trick question because he had observed the villages but did not remain unnoticed and did not allow the Southeastern village to go undisturbed.

"No father"

"Why; when I specifically gave you instructions?"

Sesshoumaru was at a loss here but felt that telling him the truth was the only way out of this mess now.

"Because I was angry, father."

"Angry? About what? Because I asked you to observe human villages? Nakimi's departure?

"No it was none of those things"

"Then why were you angry?" Inutaisho was now pacing slowly in front of Sesshoumaru. His own anger was now building again.

"Father, I promised mother that I wouldn't say anything".

"I suggest that you break that promise, otherwise you'll be facing the courtyard wall again"

Sesshoumaru flinched at the thought and decided to break the promise

"Mother told me that you had fallen in love with a human princess named Izaiyoi. I was angry that you had taken a human mate and did not even tell me. My real anger was displaced onto the village leader. I had hoped that your human lover was in the village and she and it would burn to the ground!"

Sesshoumaru had completely lost it and had meant to hold the second part about the village burning to the ground to himself, but at that point he realized he didn't care anymore. His anger had returned for the humans. They were the reason he was in trouble with his father. They were the reason that he had been beaten.

Inutaisho stood there in shock, then backhanded his son who hit the floor once again. The servants in the background had dropped their tasks and were watching and listening intently.

"Sesshoumaru you have lost all of your respect for me and for yourself. You have no compassion for that which is living and breathing in this world. You have proven at this moment, that you are not above them, you are beneath them. Since you wish to pass judgment so quickly on others then I will pass it on you. You will spend the next two weeks alone in the caves. You will not speak with or see anyone. You will learn to keep your thoughts to yourself and you will learn silence and obedience."

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe what he was hearing. The caves were reserved for commoners, "demon trash", as he had heard is father say and now he was going to be in there for two weeks?! His father had lost his mind. Surely he could not mean it. "Guards" he heard his father call to them. "Take this disgrace to the caves. No contact. Two weeks. This shall give me time to clean up the mess that he has made among the villagers of the Southeast."

Sesshoumaru looked at his father with narrowed eyes. He was hurt and angry. He knew better than to attack his father so he turned his anger toward the guards. Sesshoumaru was now putting up a fight with them. However, Inutaisho knew that pup's power was nowhere near full strength and the two guards could handle him. Sesshoumaru had tried everything in his power, claws and fangs bared but the guards were too strong for him. His father followed them out of the castle and toward the caves to make sure that he went.

"Sesshoumaru, stop your foolish resistance". Even Inutaisho himself was having second thoughts about placing his own son in the caves. He had begun to feel guilty, on the way there, that he had not told Sesshoumaru about Izaiyoi sooner. All of this might have been avoided. But the general had to remain firm and he convinced himself that this was what needed to happen.

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What do you think? Don't forget to review!

Preview CH 8 - Into the Dark: Facing darkness for two weeks, will Sesshoumaru put aside his feelings about Izaiyoi and the humans?


	8. Chapter 8: Into the Dark

_**Chapter 8-Into the Dark**_

The pup's body had given out half way to the caves and he had resorted to using his own body weight to resist. Sesshoumaru knew that it was somewhat childish but anything went to delay what awaited him and make it more difficult for the guards. The guards resorted to picking him up after growing tired of trying to pull dead yet resistant weight. As the caves came into view Sesshoumaru thought about making one last ditch effort to escape but when he looked into his father's eyes he realized how he must have disgraced him the whole way there and thought better of it. The guards felt the pup's body relax and decided to place him on his feet and allowed him to walk behind them and in front of his father.

Two guards stood at the entrance of the caves. Seeing only the young prince, his father, and two other guards they wondered why the group had made the trip. The two guards from the castle stopped and gave the customary commands. "Satsuyo," one castle guard spoke. "Lord Inutaisho requests that his son, Prince Sesshoumaru, spend two weeks within the caves as punishment to the crime of slaying an innocent villager. He is to have no contact and shall be treated the same as the other prisoners."

Sesshoumaru was at a loss. He had heard some of the guard's conversation but realized that his father was truly serious about leaving him here. The pup felt that infamous knot develop again but quickly swallowed it. He knew that his father was still standing behind him. He had disgraced his father and created mistrust among the villagers that he worked so hard to maintain. If anything, now was the time to make amends even if it wouldn't save him from the two weeks of darkness.

Glancing over his shoulder at first with his eyes downward then daring them to glance upward, he met his father's stern face. The features sent a shiver down his spine but he knew he needed to seriously apologize.

"Father…"

The taiyouki said nothing

"I am sorry for disgracing you and killing the leader of the village. I created mistrust among the people that you worked so hard to gain. I only wish to make you proud and rule as you have one day." Sesshoumaru turned to face the caves as the guards motioned him forward.

Before disappearing into its darkness Sesshoumaru could hear his father's words

"I accept your apology, Sesshoumaru", as he turned to walk away.

…

Inutaisho reentered the castle. Kisime and Nakimi were sitting in the main room waiting for Sesshoumaru and him to return, not knowing where they had gone. Upon seeing Inutaisho return, Kisime stood.

"Taisho, where is Sesshoumaru?" she asked worried

"He is serving the next two weeks of his punishment in the caves." He stated dryly

Upon hearing that, Nakimi blurted, "…The Caves? Did he deserve such a punishment?."

Inutaisho turned his glare toward her, "You will do well to hold your tongue Nakimi. Sesshoumaru's punishment fit his crime."

Nakimi had known better than to question the taiyoukai but she couldn't help but be concerned for her friend.

"Taisho you cannot leave him out there for two weeks. What about the other demons in there? Surely you have not forgotten that they would jump at the chance to take our pup's life." Kisime pointed out.

"Kisime, I have made arrangements for that. Sesshoumaru is in an area of the caves alone. No one can see or hear him accept for the guards standing outside. He is not allowed to see anyone, including you or Nakimi. My decision is final," and with that the taiyoukai walked out of the room leaving Kisime and Nakimi speechless.

…

Sesshoumaru struggled the first two nights to find sleep. The caves were dark and wet. The ground was uneven and slimy as were the walls and even the rocks. The small area that he was confined to had a slight crack in the ceiling to allow him to see the moon and its light. He had sat up those two nights not even wishing to lay down on the disgusting and uneven ground. He thought about how he and his father had been out training and scouting the grounds only days before this had happened. His father had always been strict with him but he hadn't been ruthless, until now. He still idolized his father but now he wasn't even sure if his father cared about him. He had fallen in love with a human no less. Sesshoumaru knew that his father would never truly forgive him. He had accepted the apology but he knew that this incident would forever be a strike against him. He began to blame the humans again for his misfortune then turned his anger to Izaiyoi. She was the reason for his father's anger toward him. She was to blame for the village leader's death. Had his father have never fallen in love with her, the village leader would not have died. It wasn't fair. Everything was fine before that human was mentioned.

The days drug on as if time itself had stopped and Sesshoumaru lost track of how long he had been there. The only relief that he received from the darkness now was the sliver of sunlight that shined through the same small crack in the ceiling during the day. The moon had seemed to somehow disappear from cloud cover at night. The pup's thoughts wandered from childhood to what the future may hold for him. However, nothing that he thought of could take away his own darkness that was starting to consume him. He felt his sanity slipping with every passing moment. He realized that he started not to care about anything anymore. His father wanted a perfect ruler and that was what he was going to be. He would surpass him one day and become more powerful.

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Thank-you so much to my two wonderful reviewers thus far! I will continue to post chapters and finish this story :) Enjoy!

CH 9 - Returned Reality: There's no place like home...at least that's what most believe!


	9. Chapter 9: Returned Reality

_**Chapter 9-Returned Reality**_

The two weeks hesitated but passed. Inutaisho left the castle and made his way out to the caves to retrieve his son. He had managed to regain some of the villager's trust by promising that Sesshoumaru would stay away from the village until they felt comfortable enough to trust him again. The villagers who had returned had begun to rebuild and things were quiet for the time being.

On his way, Inutaisho wondered how his pup had fared. The two weeks had allowed him to cool off and he even started to miss the pup around the castle. He had picked up that many of the servants had felt the same way and Nakimi had not spoken to him since the day that he had left Sesshoumaru there. The tension had even begun to build between he and his wife, especially since he had announced that he would be bringing Izaiyoi to the castle within the next few weeks. What he had failed to tell her was that she was also pregnant. With Sesshoumaru just getting out of trouble he felt that it would be best to go ahead and tell him what was going to happen. There was no need to repeat the situation that just occurred and he hoped that the time in the caves had helped Sesshoumaru straighten things out in his head.

Inutaisho stood at the cave's entrance for a moment, unsure as to how he would approach the pup and what his demeanor would be. The guards waited patiently as they watched the taiyoukai. He walked forward and they allowed him to pass without a word. Inutaisho made his way to the area that Sesshoumaru had been kept in. To his relief Sesshoumaru was asleep, which would make for quick conversation. His hair was wet from the dampness of the cave and clung to his face. His clothes were tattered and dirty. The taiyoukai felt his heart crack and vowed that he would never do this again no matter how bad the situation became.

He bent down to wake the pup, "Sesshoumaru", he shook his son's shoulder. Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear his vision. "Father?" he asked groggily thinking he was almost dreaming. He fully opened his eyes. "Let's go pup. Your punishment is over." Sesshoumaru followed his father out of the caves and squinted to prevent the sunlight from stinging his eyes. The two inuyoukai made the trip back to the castle without words. Sesshoumaru headed off in the direction of the baths, not even wishing to see anyone else. Inutaisho let his son be for the time being. He would tell him the news later on during the day.

Sesshoumaru relaxed in the warm bath. In truth he wished that he could stay there for an eternity. The warm water seemed to soothe his back. All of the wounds had healed themselves within the two weeks in the caves but a slight bit of soreness lingered. He let out a sigh and dipped his head underneath the water. He was glad to be back in the castle.

Slipping on a fresh haori and hakama and pulling his wet hair into a top knot he exited the baths. The servants greeted their prince as he walked the halls but he was headed toward the person that he wanted to see the most…Nakimi. Sesshoumaru entered the girl's room but she was not there. In fact it looked as if no one had ever stayed there. Sesshoumaru was slightly distraught and disappointed. He walked into Nakimi's room, grabbed a small sakura blossom that had landed at the ledge of the window and sat against the wall. 'She must have found a mate' he thought.

"Sesshoumaru?", came the soft voice. The pup looked up to see Nakimi standing at the doorway.

"Nakimi!" Sesshoumaru tried to keep from showing too much emotion.

"You thought that I had found a mate and left already didn't you?" Nakimi asked with a slight smirk.

Sesshoumaru lifted one eye brow "Not at all" he said bumping her shoulder as he walked by.

Nakimi laughed a little as he walked past and placed her hand on his shoulder "You were missed little brother. I am now residing in a room in the south hall if you need anything."

Sesshoumaru showed her a rare smile. Deep down he knew what her move to the south hall meant though. That was where most of the daughters and other women stayed who had mates that guarded the castle. Nakimi had stayed in the northern hall near Kisime because her mother had died a few years after she was born and Kisime had taken her in shortly before becoming pregnant with Sesshoumaru. Her father had been too busy to keep an eye on her as the second in command to Inutaisho. The two families had been very close, so it only seemed natural.

"Hello mother", Sesshoumaru spoke at the entrance of his mother's room. "Hello Sesshoumaru. I am glad you are able to re-join us." His mother was in one of those moods but he didn't care. "Sesshoumaru, your father and I will need to speak with you later on today, a change is coming and you shall be informed." "Yes mother" he responded continuing back to his room. He was a bit confused by her statement but didn't question it.

Sesshoumaru had still not said a word to his father since he had left the caves and wasn't sure whether or not he was ready to confront him. Frankly, he wasn't even sure what to say. He decided to retreat to his room until dinner time. Sesshoumaru lay on his bed and thought about what his mother had said. That had been one of her riddle like statements. 'A change is coming'. Exactly what did she mean by that statement? He wasn't sure but he knew that he would find out at dinner. That was when his father always made announcements. He soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

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Finally Sessh gets a break in the action!

Preview Ch 10 - More to Tell - She's having a what!? Coming when!? Staying where!? WHY FATHER?


	10. Chapter 10: More to Tell

_**Chapter 10-More to Tell**_

Everything seemed to be fairly quiet as Sesshoumaru woke from his slumber and he could smell the foods that were being prepared for their dinner that night. He sat up in his bed realizing that he had not even been back a full day. The day seemed strange and out of place to him but he knew that he would get back into the routine.

Sesshoumaru's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock at the door. "My prince", one of the servants greeted him with a bow, "dinner is ready". Sesshoumaru nodded and followed him to the dining area where his parents already sat. He seated himself to the right of his father. Not wishing to even meet his father's face he kept his gaze straight. His mother of course knew exactly what he was doing and so ignored it as she sat to the left of Inutaisho. The royal family sat quietly eating their meal until Inutaisho broke the silence.

"Sesshoumaru, as your mother has already informed you, there will be changes in the next few weeks".

"Changes, father?", Sesshoumaru questioned still not looking at his father and keeping a distant stare.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru. You are aware of Izaiyoi as you made that clear two weeks ago. What you are not aware of is that Izaiyoi will be coming to stay in the castle with us. What you and Kisime also do not know is that she is with child. That is why Nakimi was moved to the South hall and her room was cleared out. That room is to be Inuyasha's."

At the first statement that Izaiyoi was coming to live with them Sesshoumaru shot his shock in his father's direction. His face was focused on his father's, with eyes slightly wider than usual. At the second statement about her being with child and Nakimi being moved because that was to be Inuyasha's room had taken him to the end and he couldn't find his way back. Sesshoumaru's anger raged inside of him. Not only was he bringing a filthy human inside the castle she was going to have a disgusting and repulsive half-demon.

Sesshoumaru quickly forgot that he had just returned from a two week punishment when he promptly flipped the table in anger and nearly ran from the room and out the door. He knew that his father would soon catch up to him but he couldn't stand it anymore. He had killed one innocent human and in two weeks his life had turned to hell. The once obedient child that he had been had turned into some kind of rebellious monster. He ran through the forest and bounded through the trees unsure of where he was running to but it didn't matter. His father didn't care about him or his mother's honor so why would it matter if he were gone?

Inutaisho and Kisime were shocked to say the least when their pup had managed to flip the table and get out of the room in the same second. Both held tea cups in their hands while the other dinner ware and food made a mockery of the wall. Kisime was angry that Inutaisho had not told her that the woman was with child but much like many things with her husband she decided in the same instant not to care.

"He is going to pay for this!" Inutaisho roared slamming down the tea cup onto the floor where the table once stood. It, too, became one of the former set that now lay strewn over the floor and wall.

"Taisho, wait, please let me talk to him first. Surely you could not have expected the pup to take it all in without a word. He is clearly angry and confused." Kisime pleaded, hoping to take her own leave from the entire situation.

Inutaisho took her words in and recounted the events of two weeks ago. Maybe it would be better to allow her to speak with their pup first.

"Fine, but this will not go unpunished Kisime.", he agreed

Kisime nodded and made her way out to find her pup.

'Why? Why does father need another pup? Am I not good enough? He trains me and knows how powerful that I have become. He complemented me all of the time and even entrusted me to go and watch the villages on more than one occasion. Am I really a disgrace to him? I don't always like to train but he even admitted that he was like me as a pup. I don't understand; what did I do wrong?' Sesshoumaru allowed a lone tear to fall as he sat in a tree overlooking the Northern Lake of their lands.

'A half-breed. A disastrous and wretched combination between human and demon.' It sickened him to think of it. He huffed and took in the scenery. The setting sun made the lake look as if a thousand melons had overtaken it while a spring breeze played through Sesshoumaru's hair and caused his features to take on that of his mother's face. Taking in the sight he relaxed his body against the tree and closed his eyes not wanting another tear to fall.

"Sesshoumaru, my pup, answer me", his mother spoke in a slightly raised voice.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked down from the tree. "Yes, mother?" he responded

Kisime stood there and narrowed her eyes. He knew that he was supposed to come down when called. Sesshoumaru knew that expression and jumped down from the tree. Quite frankly he was surprised to see his mother. She never dealt with discipline unless his father wasn't there but he was glad to see her instead.

"Sesshoumaru, your father and I were very disappointed with your actions earlier. I am not in the least excited about Izaiyoi joining us, especially with a half-breed on the way, but as I have told you before we are not to stand against your father's decisions. The way in which you marched out of that room was inexcusable and dishonorable. If you must be so angry then simply ask to be excused and keep it to yourself. Is that clear?"

"Yes, mother", he responded shifting his eyes from his mother's face.

He wanted to tell her how he felt. He wanted to know why she was so accepting of his father's decisions. Why didn't she ask why he had been so angry? Nobody cared as long as he grew up to take his father's place and become the perfect ruler. Nobody cared about him anymore because it was all about that stupid human, Izaiyoi and now her pup!

"Let's go Sesshoumaru. Your father will take care of the rest when we return", his mother turned to walk away but Sesshoumaru did not move. For a moment he thought about running away. He thought about wandering about on his own. No boundaries, no rules, no limitations and no one to tell him that he couldn't hate humans. If it were left up to him, none of them would exist.

Sesshoumaru had not realized that his mother had turned around until he felt the pain of her hand and claws ring across his face. Not even waiting for him to put his feet into motion she yanked him to walk in front of her then pushed him forward slightly digging her claws into his back.

"I don't know what you were thinking but you had better have your head clear before we get back!", his mother angrily commanded.

Sesshoumaru stumbled forward rubbing his cheek and feeling the pain in his back all at the same time. Unfortunately for him his mother had dug her claws in the sorest part of his back, a dreadful reminder.

* * *

Sesshoumaru is a bit OOC, and he does seem to just be angry all the time but early-mid teen years can be that way. Believe me, I KNOW!

So pleasith continue to readith :)

Preview Ch 11 - Resistance: Sesshoumaru's insistent refusal to accept his father's decision continues to resurface...why is he resisting the inevitable?


	11. Chapter 11: Resistance

_**Chapter 11-Resistance**_

Sesshoumaru entered the main room where his father was sitting while his mother continued on to her room leaving the father and son to talk. Inutaisho sat with a dominating posture. Noticing this, Sesshoumaru moved slowly as if hesitating and waiting for his father to lunge at him as he had two weeks ago in Nakimi's room.

"Sit, pup", his father commanded. He followed his father's instructions and sat across from him keeping his gaze once again off of his father's face and his head slightly lowered. They both sat in silence for what seemed like forever to Sesshoumaru. In truth his father was thinking how to actually put what he needed to say into words without causing another reaction from his pup.

"Sesshoumaru, I am already aware that you are disappointed with the situation that will be taking place in the next few weeks. 'Disappointed was an understatement' Sesshoumaru thought.

"Whether you like it or not you will learn to respect Izaiyoi and when your brother is born you will protect him and treat him much the same way as you have treated Nakimi. You can either make this easy or difficult for yourself. Either way I will not tolerate disrespect from you any longer. You will remain silent over this situation and if I see any emotion which betrays your silence you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?" the taiyoukai stated.

Sesshoumaru looked up at his father. He struggled to restrain his anger at the mention of 'brother'. How could he agree to such outlandish terms? The pup hesitated to answer.

"No." came his answer to his father, although he knew that he would soon regret it, he continued.

Inutaisho was now noticeably angry.

"Father, I cannot respect the creatures that we do not accept. They are not our equals. Half-breeds are a worthless combination accepted by neither group. Why should I feel any differently?" Sesshoumaru replied, frustrated at his father's request.

Sesshoumaru let out a yelp as his father hit the side of his face close to his mouth. His lip split causing it to bleed.

"That is why", his father responded as he got up and pulled Sesshoumaru with him to the dining area.

"…and since you like to make a mess of everything, you can clean the floors and the walls of the entire castle", he said slinging Sesshoumaru toward the over turned table.

Losing his balance he fell to his hands and knees barely missing the table's short broken leg.

Inutaisho slung the pup a set of clothing that had been handed to him by one of the servants as requested.

"Change into these clothes before you get started. Since you don't want to act like royalty you won't dress like it either." And with that the taiyoukai walked away.

Sesshoumaru turned to see his father's back as he left. He knew, as he saw his father leave, that things between them, from now on would be different. The changes that he wished to stop could not be stopped, the distant hell was now upon him and he could feel the heat of the flames.

…

Sesshoumaru collapsed onto his bed in the servant's clothing that he now wore. It had taken him three full days to clean the floors and the walls of the entire castle. Every hall cleaned on his hands and knees. He looked at his battered, sore hands and remembered that at one time he had claws. Now they were nothing more than dulled nails. Still, it was nothing that a few days without hard labor wouldn't take care of though.

On top of the cleaning, his father had started back training him. He hadn't spoken a word to Sesshoumaru except to correct him and tell him that the attack wasn't perfect though to Sesshoumaru it could not have gotten any better. The taiyoukai had not taken it easy on him, dragging some of the sessions from the usual hour to three hours.

The pup stood and removed the servant clothing that he had been wearing and replaced them with his usual ones, including the pelt. For a moment he held the soft fur, remembering that it had been a gift from his parents when he was born and how it used to comfort him when he felt his worst. But now it did nothing of the sort. No matter what he did now nothing could take away the pain that he felt within.

'I wonder how Nakimi has been' he thought. 'I haven't seen her in a few days, I guess that I should pay her a visit'. Finishing the bow on his obi he left his room and headed toward the south hall. Many of the female youkai could be seen rushing up and down the hall. They seemed to be grabbing ribbons and shells and giggling about something or the other, almost as if in celebration. It was not until Sesshoumaru came to Nakimi's room until he realized what was going on. Nakimi was blushing and smiling as the other women made fun and joked with her about their husbands. None of them seemed to notice that Sesshoumaru was there. The pup stood at the doorway not knowing whether to retreat or approach. Nakimi looked up and noticed Sesshoumaru trying to figure out what to do. When the women turned their attention to making fun of each other Nakimi snuck out.

"Sesshoumaru, I'm glad to see you. I was worried about you." Nakimi spoke as they walked out of the south hall.

"I'm glad to see you too. My father had me clean all of the halls in the castle as punishment for turning the table and leaving the dining area." He replied

"Strange, I never saw you clean the south hall?" she pointed out

"Everyone was asleep when I finally made it to the south hall on the second night. I stayed up to finish it, not wanting to drag the chore out any longer than necessary."

"I see. Little brother…I have good and bad news to tell you. Which would you rather hear first?" Nakimi asked

Sesshoumaru turned to her almost with pleading eyes. "Nakimi, I already know what you're going to say. I don't think that I can stand to hear any more bad news. Congratulations on your betrothal". He closed his eyes and walked forward slightly. "…how ironic that you're leaving me when I need you the most".

Nakimi stood slightly behind him with her hands clutched to her chest. She could feel Sesshoumaru's sadness within her and knew that he had been having a hard time as of late. She guessed that he had known that she would not be around much longer when she moved to the southern hall.

"Sesshoumaru, I will never forget the times that we shared in this castle and I hope that those memories will help to pull you through hard times to come. I am to be wed in two weeks. I have heard rumors that this will also be around the same time that Izaiyoi is to move in so there is no doubt that many changes will take place for you. I will miss you dearly, little brother and only wish the best for you".

Sesshoumaru's focus on her words was interrupted as he felt her embrace. He turned to hug her back and she kissed his forehead and ruffled his bangs. Sesshoumaru could count the times that he had been hugged since about the age of eight, on one hand. They continued their walk and spoke nothing more about Nakimi's wedding or Izaiyoi.

* * *

Hello again. My finals are finally over yaaah, so I will most likely go ahead and edit and post the rest of the story pretty soon! Enjoy :)

Preview Ch 12 - Slipping into Silence: When there's no one to talk to and no one else understands or cares how you feel...


	12. Chapter 12: Slipping into Silence

_**Chapter 12- Slipping into Silence**_

Two weeks seemed to come in the blink of an eye. Sesshoumaru had managed to stay out of trouble, Nakimi had wed and left, Kisime was considering leaving and returning to her home in the north but had not done so and now they were only a day away from Izaiyoi's scheduled arrival. The servants were running around like chickens with their heads cut off and his father had left to retrieve Izaiyoi. Of course before leaving to retrieve the human, Sesshoumaru had been given a stern talking to and had been coached in the ways of showing respect to the woman. It had taken him ten times to get the greeting absolutely perfect the way that his father wanted it.

'Lady Izaiyoi, welcome to our home. I am Prince Sesshoumaru, Lord Inutaisho and Lady Kisime's son. I will be happy to assist you should you need anything and am looking forward to the birth of my little brother, Inu-mutt'. Sesshoumaru mockingly recalled throwing mutt at the end, in his head of course, for his own pleasure then smirking. "Ridiculous".

'Could the heavens be more against me' he thought.

Sesshoumaru watched the servants' frantic movements for a few moments thinking of how his life would change. He missed Nakimi but he had begun to distance himself from her in those last two weeks so that her departure would not be so hard for him.

Sesshoumaru made his way back to his room no longer wanting to deal with the commotion within the castle. He had even decided to skip dinner for the day hoping to avoid the changes being made to the castle to accommodate the human and her unborn pup. Sleep came to him that night in spells and strange dreams. Usually on nights like this he would talk to Nakimi. She had been his only outlet to talk to someone or tell them how he felt but as she prepared to leave and since she had been gone he had felt himself slip into silence. He didn't want to talk to his father and he knew that talking to his mother would be pointless. None of the other demons within the castle were trust worthy enough to talk to either.

It was obvious that some of the servants and guards were starting to believe that Sesshoumaru was starting to become something near mute. In the last week he had rarely wasted more than a sentence to tell them what to do and if he didn't wish to do that he would just do whatever he needed done himself. The servants often protested his behavior out of fear of lord Inutaisho thinking they weren't doing their jobs. His father had ignored the behavior as Sesshoumaru had said just enough to answer any questions asked of him or do what he was told.

Deep down however, Inutaisho was concerned. In truth, he wasn't sure what to do about his son's new found aloof behavior. Nakimi's announced departure had been bad enough not to mention the punishment he had added to it some two weeks ago. In honesty he hadn't meant for his son to shut down completely. Sesshoumaru had been a model young prince until only about a month ago. The pup was never boisterous but wasn't beyond a good conversation or having a little fun. However, he couldn't see any of that in his son's current state but he hoped that it would just be a passing stage and that he would soon return to how he was before.

…

Sesshoumaru got up from his bed, unable to find a peaceful sleep and made his way out to the courtyard. Sitting on a bench he looked into the night sky and found the moon watching him.

Sesshoumaru's thoughts raced, asking questions of the moon as if it could give him the answers that he was looking for. He had always felt a connection to it since he donned the crescent moon on his forehead.

'What do I do now? My father doesn't understand that he's ruining the blood line of a perfect family. He wants me to be perfect as he even named me partly so yet he refuses to uphold our family name. That mutt and the human he's bringing here will surely soil our castle and disgrace the many generations of inuyoukai before us!'

A gentle summer night breeze blew causing some of the petals of the Sakura trees to encircle him. It almost seemed as if the moon understood his pain and tried to comfort him with a windy embrace.

Kisime watched her son for a moment in the shadows, allowing the Sakura trees and her own youkai to mask her scent.

"Sesshoumaru" came Kisime's voice "…what are you doing out here in the middle of the night? You should be resting."

Sesshoumaru's eyes followed his mother's voice to her face and then promptly shifted his gaze to the side, not wishing to answer her question.

Kisime had also picked up her son's lack of words to express his feelings. Instead of becoming annoyed or angry with his behavior she had actually become worried but had no idea how to approach it. She herself was having trouble with the thought of a human and a half demon living amongst them and had trouble discerning her own feelings.

Kisime moved to sit next to her son. " I am not sure what has caused you to take on your current disposition but you are aware that nothing that either of us can say or do now will stop your father. I would only hope that you could adjust to the situation."

Sesshoumaru kept his gaze facing the moon as his mother continued

"We both know that the changes that will take place will alter everything that we have come to know. Even your father is not the same demon that we have lived with for the past several years. I cannot even assure you that I will stay in this castle but it is your obligation to do so as you are the prince and will one day rule these lands. Sesshoumaru, I hope for your sake that you are stronger than I. It is our only hope that things will get better before they get worse. Remember, everything that has a beginning has an end. You will see."

Kisime reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Sesshoumaru's ear. He turned to face her at the gesture. His mother had never been overly affectionate. He guessed that the upcoming situation had to be dire if she had begun showing it.

"I understand mother…thank you"

The response had come in almost a whisper but Kisime clearly understood her son. She placed her hand over his for a moment, then stood.

"Come Sesshoumaru it is late and we must rest. It would be pointless to try and delay the sun. It rises and sets whether you wish it or not."

Sesshoumaru complied; walking behind his mother he took one last look at the moon from over his shoulder. He wanted so badly to believe that this was a dream!

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Preview Ch 13 Coming and Going: Izaiyoi's arrival prompts another loss for Sesshoumaru.


	13. Chapter 13: Coming and Going

_**Chapter 13- Coming and Going**_

The day had arrived and Inutaisho and Izaiyoi were only moments away from entering the castle. Sesshoumaru and Kisime stood ready to greet the human princess that they knew so little about.

Both mother and son stood with similar expressions of indifference while the servants were lined up and down the entrance like soldiers. If they disapproved of the human presence they surely masked it well.

Kisato, one of the guards, opened the doors. "Announcing the arrival of Lord Inutaisho and Lady Izaiyoi."

Sesshoumaru took in the sight.

There stood his magnificent and powerful father in full armor. Two swords were at his father's side, one in particular had caught his eye since he could remember, the other was fairly new but he was curious to find out its purpose. He would admit that the woman by his father's side was pretty by human standards but in comparison to Nakimi and his mother she was nothing. Many of the more sophisticated female demons would put her looks to shame. Her hair was long and black and her eyes held a foolish innocence. She wore a kimono of many layers and colors with the outer being pink with white outlined sakura blossoms. She was young, as was to be expected, no more than maybe two to three years older than Nakimi, he guessed, in human years. Her scent was mixed due to the unborn disaster that remained in her womb. The bump was just barely noticeable under all of the layers.

Lord Inutaisho spoke. "Lady Izaiyoi this is Lady Kisime, my wife." Kisime and Izaiyoi both bowed to each other. Sesshoumaru found this somewhat strange but he guessed that neither woman knew which was in a higher position resulting in both showing respect to avoid conflict. While the women bowed and swapped greetings Inutaisho took a sideward glance at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru caught the glance and knew what his father meant. 'If you mess up in any way you will regret the day you were born'.

Inutaisho and Izaiyoi moved to stand in front of Sesshoumaru. The pup straightened up further then bowed and raveled off the statement that he had practiced.

"Lady Izaiyoi, welcome to our home. I am Prince Sesshoumaru, Lord Inutaisho and Lady Kisime's son. I will be happy to assist you should you need anything and am looking forward to the birth of my little brother, Inu...yasha."

If only the gods knew how close he had come to saying mutt rather than yasha. He could have very well dug his grave that day and jumped in it.

Izaiyoi smiled genuinely. "Thank you for such a kind welcome Prince Sesshoumaru". Inutaisho gave Sesshoumaru a nod, one of the best things he had done for Sesshoumaru in the last two weeks, then motioned for he and Izaiyoi to make their way down the line of servants who bowed deeply as they walked through. Sesshoumaru and Kisime followed close after.

…

After a week had passed almost everything had gotten back to normal around the castle. Inutaisho seemed a bit happier and a little more relaxed than he had been during the weeks coming up to bringing Izaiyoi home.

Sesshoumaru had whitnessed, in just a short time, that his father showed more affection to Izaiyoi in one week than he had shown his mother in his lifetime. The pup was angry at this and couldn't understand how his mother could stand to watch such a despicable sight. However, it was not something that he would not understand for much longer.

Soon after Izaiyoi's arrival, Kisime announced that she would be leaving and would return to the northern lands.

"Mother, you have decided to leave?" Sesshoumaru said in half a question and half a statement as he stood in her doorway. "Yes. Sesshoumaru, In this last week I have found it more difficult and more inappropriate to stay than I had assumed."

In that moment Sesshoumaru truly felt alone. "Mother…" he hesitated trying not to sound as if he truly needed her to stay. Even though he thought her to be totally uncaring at times she was still his mother. She had always been present in his life and much like Nakimi, he knew that he would miss her dearly. In a way he started to feel as if she were abandoning and betraying him once again.

Kisime turned to her son. Her expression was blank. "Well, what is it Sesshoumaru?"

"…you don't have to leave…please don't go" Sesshoumaru forced the last few words out in a whisper.

"Oh…I see" Kisime lifted her head. "Sesshoumaru I had previously informed you that I may not stay. Surely you do not need me any longer; you are not a newborn puppy dependent upon me for protection or food. My remaining here will not make a difference. Surely I have taught you that most emotions will only get in the way. You must have picked up these unnecessary feelings from your father. You must learn to find your own way in the world. My mind will remain unchanged."

Sesshoumaru had anticipated the coldness of his mother's statement but still felt disappointed. He nodded and left his mother's room without a word. In his mother's words he had found some truth and agreed that most emotions were worthless. But if they were so worthless why could he smell the salt of tears from the room that he had just left and why could he feel something within his chest begin to ache. Surely some things, whether or not they were emotions, were beyond their control.

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Again, please continue to review. The rest will be posted soon!

Preview Ch 14 Little Brother: The birth of Inuyasha


	14. Chapter 14: Little Brother

_**Chapter 14 – Little Brother**_

It had been several months now that Kisime had been gone. The air was cold and snow had begun to fall. Winter had seemed to have just arrived. Sesshoumaru had gotten along with Izaiyoi by mostly avoiding her or not saying anything to her. By this time she herself had understood that Sesshoumaru wanted nothing to do with her or the baby that would soon come.

…

Izaiyoi had been in the birthing room for hours. Inutaisho would come to check on his love's condition quite frequently but would not stay for a prolonged period. It had come to Sesshoumaru's attention that his father did not wish to see Izaiyoi in pain thus his reason for coming to only check on her progress instead of staying.

Night had fallen before cries of a second being entered the world. Inutaisho was allowed in to see his new born son. Two white ears stood out and twitched with the baby's cries. After Inuyasha had settled into sleep Inutaisho left the room to find Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru sat atop the roof of the castle. Watching and asking the moon for answers had become a habit since the entire situation had started. Now that Inuyasha was born, how would his father treat him?

"Ah, there you are" Inutaisho said, jumping atop the roof to sit next to his son.

"Sesshoumaru, I am sure that you can sense that Inuyasha has been born, do you not even wish to see him?"

"No," came the uncaring reply

Inutaisho had known that it was coming so he was not angry. In fact he hadn't had trouble from him since Izaiyoi had been present. That was more than he could ask for but he wanted Sesshoumaru to see Inuyasha so he would risk the confrontation even if he had to drag him to do so.

"Sesshoumaru, despite the fact that you do not wish for Inuyasha to be in this world he is. I am no longer requesting that you see him, I am ordering it."

Sesshoumaru looked at his father with ire and wanted so badly to protest but he held it in. His father's commands were law. Inutaisho and his son entered the castle and headed toward the birthing room, where Izaiyoi sat holding her son.

Inutaisho gently lifted the baby from Izaiyoi's arms and walked over to Sesshoumaru. Izaiyoi felt a bit uneasy but knew that as long as Inutaisho was there Sesshoumaru would do him no harm. Sesshoumaru kept his head turned away, not wanting to see the child. Inuyasha opened his tired eyes and cooed at the third presence in the room. Sesshoumaru turned slightly and uncrossed his arms from his chest. Inutaisho knew that his son was forever curious and that all he needed to do was get him in the room. Sesshoumaru's curiosity would take care of everything else.

Inutaisho stood by his son with the baby in his arms. Sesshoumaru watched as Inuyasha fought against sleep, opening his eyes for a few moments then closing them back. The tiny arms and legs that were hidden underneath the blanket moved and stretched. The little white ears twitched with each sound. Without realizing what he was doing Sesshoumaru laid a clawed finger on one of the white furry ears. The ear instinctively twitched then relaxed under the gentle touch. Izaiyoi smiled and looked at Inutaisho. When Inutaisho moved to adjust Inuyasha to allow Sesshoumaru to hold him, the young prince was brought back to reality and removed his hand, refusing to hold him. He was irritated by the fact that he had even allowed himself to touch the little half-breed.

"May I be excused? I have done as you ordered and seen Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru requested. Inutaisho nodded and Sesshoumaru promptly left the room.

Sesshoumaru walked slowly back to his room, thinking of Inuyasha. 'You have been introduced into a world where you will be hated for what you are. You are neither demon nor human but a disgraceful combination of both. You have human blood running through your veins and you would be lucky to live past your eighth birthday. It would be in your best interest for me to put you out of your misery now. I will kill you! I refuse to let you know this world little brother.'

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I just noticed how short this chapter is but alas the rest of the chapters will be posted. BTW Anon reviews are welcome, I forgot to set this way back when. So review away!

Preview Ch 15 Killing Imperfection - The target is baby Inuyasha!


	15. Chapter 15: Killing Imperfection

_**Chapter 15 – Killing Imperfection**_

It had been a few weeks before Izaiyoi had gotten comfortable enough to leave Inuyasha to sleep in his own room. She had discovered the truth about the night of the new moon only a few days after Inuyasha had been born. It was not a surprise to Inutaisho however, as he knew that all half-demons had one night of weakness. It was those nights that he would be extremely protective over Inuyasha and if he couldn't be there he had promised Izaiyoi that extra guards would be on duty. He would have been much happier to say that Sesshoumaru would step up to the task but as of yet his son hadn't shown any interest in doing so. It was hard for Inutaisho to admit, but he knew, deep down, that he may not be able to trust his own son. Sesshoumaru's distant behavior and selfishness made the demon lord think twice about the way in which he had raised his first born. He regretted that he had allowed Kisime to have so much of an influence, but then again, could it truly have been avoided since he was away so much at the beginning of Sesshoumaru's childhood? He wanted things to be different for Inuyasha.

Inutaisho and Izaiyoi had finally retired for the night after making sure that Inuyasha was tucked in and asleep. Sesshoumaru heard his father and lover make their way into their room.

'So tonight is the night huh? Fine, I will wait to make sure all is quiet and put the wretched thing to its death!'

Sesshoumaru waited for about an hour, listening for sounds of movement but there were none. Slowly the prince moved from his bed. Down the hall he crept with the stealth that he had learned at no more than the age of five. He entered the room and shut the sliding door behind him. He avoided standing directly in the light of the moon through the window as he knew a shadow would cast against the door. Golden eyes glowed and glared with angry thoughts consuming the mind of their owner. He watched Inuyasha as he slept. The small stomach moved up and down to breathing and the little white ears were still.

Sesshoumaru began to concentrate his energy into his right hand, claws glowing green with poison. He raised his hand into the air and came down with claws pointed at the baby's stomach, threatening to go straight through. Only inches away were those deadly claws that had stopped their approach when Inuyasha had cracked his dreary eyes. The images of the village leader's face, the blood, the reflection of himself in the stream, his father's anger and the beating that had ensued soon after, sped through Sesshoumaru's mind. His vision blurred with tears but he clenched his teeth and shook his head in frustration to clear the images. He again raised his hand but could not find the strength to bring it down.

'Why? Why couldn't you have just stayed asleep? Why did you have to open your eyes? Why can't I kill you? I hate you. You and your wretched human mother caused this, my pain, mother's leaving, father doesn't care about me anymore because everything is about you…you're…you're responsible for everything. It's all your fault…it's all your fault.' He allowed the tears to fall. Sesshoumaru dropped his hand to his side. No matter how much he wanted to kill his little brother he knew he couldn't, at least not now. He was…innocent! Inuyasha cooed then yawned and blinked a few times, each one slower than the last and then he fell back off to sleep. Watching him only a few moments longer, his last tear fell to Inuyasha's furry ear. Drying his eyes, he turned to leave. He moved to open the door but it was already cracked. He could have sworn that he closed it all the way. Immediately he knew what was on the other side. He couldn't believe that he hadn't sensed such a huge presence before. Undoubtedly his task had consumed him completely, a mistake he rarely made.

Searching his mind for any way out, he came up with none. His original plan had been to kill Inuyasha and then put as much distance between he and his father and Izaiyoi as he could but he hadn't thought of a second plan or possibly getting caught in the act. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and slid the door open the rest of way and stepped out of the room. Bracing himself to be hit he stood before the taller figure.

"Sesshoumaru", the name sounded foreign to the pup at the moment, not even wanting to own his own being out of fear.

"…I saw everything from the second that you walked into Inuyasha's room. I allowed Inuyasha to stay by himself on purpose, this night, to test your actions towards him and you failed me. I am disappointed that I cannot even trust my first born. I see now that your selfish and uncaring nature will be your downfall. Until you realize the importance of caring for beings that are different from yourself, you will forever be cold hearted."

Sesshoumaru did not dare protest his father's words. The only thing that he had done right that night was walk out of that room to face his father.

Inutaisho continued "However, if you have learned nothing else in these past few months, you have learned to honor that which is innocent. I would have killed you myself had you killed Inuyasha in such a disgraceful way! I would not have thought twice about not bringing you back with Tensaiga."

It donned on Sesshoumaru at that moment that the other sword, Tensaiga, was not a sword used for battle but a sword forged to bring back the dead. Even if he had killed Inuyasha, it would have been in vain.

"It would be in your best interest to never let me catch you in or near this room ever again. I need not reiterate the consequences of any such action. You are dismissed".

Without a word Sesshoumaru bowed to his father and walked back to his room. He had assumed that he would be punished but nothing ever came of it. It was this night that Inutaisho saw the reality of his first born son. There was nothing more that he could do to persuade his son to show any favor toward humans, much less half-demons. Punishing him for the incident that night would do nothing to change the young demon's mind and may have only pushed him even farther away. Neither words nor actions would move the heartless being that he had created. He would not forsake his son but he had no reason to believe that the prince would change in his lifetime and thought twice about where Tetsusaiga would be left if he were to reach an untimely demise.

The taiyoukai thought hard on Sesshoumaru for many days and came to the conclusion that in order for him to gain power he would have to gain it on his own. However, the only way for him to gain it would not be by physical means but psychologically. His son's strength would soon surpass any but even a rock was strong. The difference was that one had the ability to think, feel and care. One had a heart and the other did not. 'Through compassion and caring, you will gain power my son, otherwise, you will fail to ever surpass me.' He watched Sesshoumaru as he practiced in the courtyard from his window. Each move was perfect. You couldn't see any flaws within his moves. But that was just it, he couldn't see the flaws from the outside but they were there. 'The Perfect Killer huh…maybe I named you too well. I see so many imperfections within you Sesshoumaru'.

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Inuyasha lives to ear twitch another day!

Preview Ch 16 Broken and Trained - The brothers have gotten a little older...what's behind the two headed dragon?


	16. Chapter 16: Broken and Trained

_**Chapter 16 – Broken and Trained**_

It had been some years now since the night that Sesshoumaru had attempted to kill his little brother. The little half-demon was now four and enjoyed observing and running after nature's gentle creatures. Butterflies, ladybugs and the occasional deer were favorites. Under his mother or father's watchful eye he would explore what little that he could.

It was during these times that Sesshoumaru, now sixteen*, would make himself scarce. He had begun to spend more time away from the castle. In many cases he would be off on his father's orders or would just take leave of his own will. The prince found it hard to watch his father show such adoration toward the little abomination. He remembered a time when he had been in his father's favor. He could do no wrong in his father's eyes. He was the son that his father had taken so much pride in showing off. But things were different now. It was almost as if his father was trying to break him down. Nothing that he did, now, was right. The smallest things were nitpicked. It was almost as if his father was trying to undo him from the inside out!

Sesshoumaru however, had since put up a barrier to this as well. He often mentally ignored his father's belittling statements and never showed emotion toward them as he had done when he was younger. He was determined to keep his father from seeing how much pain he truly caused him.

The prince could have counted the amount of times that he actually got within an arm's reach of Inuyasha though. The discipline which accompanied this distance, unless intended by his father, had conditioned him to staying four to five stride lengths out of range.

The most recent incident, only a month ago, had not even been his fault, it was Inuyasha's really_. Upon leaving the castle, the little half-breed had run up to him, blocking the exit, to show him a ladybug that he had caught. If his father had seen Inuyasha this close to him he would receive the blame. He had gone against his own good judgment and decided to allow his claws to glow with his poison in order to scare Inuyasha away. The plan had back fired when Inuyasha simply stood there with his head tilted. Inutaisho stepped out at that very moment to check on Inuyasha. When he saw the scene it all went downhill. Inutaisho transformed and he did the same to defend himself. Inuyasha screamed and scampered off frightened by the commotion. Izaiyoi had seen the whole thing from her window before Inutaisho arrived and knew why Sesshoumaru had done what he did. By the time she got there Inutaisho was looming over him while he was lying on his back and roaring in pain. Inutaisho had broken a few of his ribs and was proceeding to break more from the weight of his paw alone. He had done his best to keep his father's weight from killing him by using his front and hind legs to push his father upward. This was a task in itself because his father was nearly twice his size. The battle ended with Izaiyoi screaming the explanation to Inutaisho with Inuyasha in her arms. His father had simply stepped over him and transformed back into his human form and walked away taking Inuyasha from Izaiyoi. She pleaded for him to say something but he did not as he continued to walk away and check Inuyasha to make sure he wasn't harmed. No apologies, no help, no nothing._

Though Sesshoumaru would never admit it he felt a certain loss. He knew that he wouldn't kill Inuyasha at this point, but Inuyasha was not the loss that he felt. It was his father. Though he was sixteen he still held adoration for the demon he called Chichue. He had always wanted to please his father and make him proud. They never spoke, unless it was necessary such as during training or giving/taking orders to go or do something. Though this was something that had started just a little before his attempt to kill Inuyasha, it had intensified since the fight.

Sesshoumaru dressed to leave the castle. He didn't know where he was going but he knew that anywhere would be better than staying.

"Sesshoumaru", he heard his father call from the doorway. "Come with me". Sesshoumaru followed his father as he spoke.

"You are spending more time outside of the castle. In fact it would seem to me as if your time is split as of late. Though your god-complex controls the majority of your actions it would behoove you to take a beast with you to carry anything that you don't wish to carry yourself. Make your choice from the newly captured dragons and be off with it. It is up to you to break and train it."

Sesshoumaru would have thanked his father had the statement not come out so sarcastically. Instead, all that he could manage was, "yes, father" and a bow. In a way, this could have very well been a sort of apology from his father for the incident though he would have rather heard the words. None of the dragons were simply given for personal use. They were only used in battle. How interesting though, that the same words that his father used could have been used to describe the way that he was now, broken and trained.

Was he truly no better than the beasts that were used and beaten until they followed the soldiers' every order? The fact of the matter was simple. All of the events that had led to his silence had in fact been breaking points for him. Trained? Was he not the killing perfection now that they wanted him to be? Did he not know exactly where his boundaries were within the misconstrued family that his father had been responsible for creating? How else could he summarize the path of life onto which he was prodded? There was no difference.

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* _The ages don't add up, and I know that. Inuyasha is half human. Because of this Inuyasha ages just a little quicker than Sesshoumaru which makes sense to me because he has at least one night a month that he becomes a full human_.

This chapter took me a while to get it the way that I wanted it, still not sure if I really like how it turned out but oh well. Please continue to review

Preview Ch 17 Someone to Protect - The last conversation between a father and his son.


	17. Chapter 17: Someone to Protect

**_Chapter 17 – Someone to Protect_**

**_Disclaimer: Some of the information in this chapter mimics the beginning conversation in Movie Three: Swords of an Honorable Ruler. I don't own it!_**

Ryuukotsei threatened Inutaisho for months that the dragon clan would take over the lands. Small battles broke out but nothing serious came of the dragon leader's threats. When Inutaisho's soldiers consistently came out on top of the battles with few losses, Ryuukotsei decided to take drastic measures. He came to the Western lands declaring a one on one battle with Inutaisho. The one who came out of the battle alive would take control of the Western lands and all that it had to offer.

Inutaisho knew that Ryuukotsei would probably end up challenging him himself. Though the dog leader was strong Ryuukotsei held dragon powers which rivaled his own. The dragon was nothing to take lightly and the battle could very well end in a draw only after dragging out over a long period of time.

However, Inutaisho saw no real choice in the matter. Either Ryuukotsei would continue to send his wretched dragons into battle or he could end it with Ryuukotsei, ridding the Western lands of his destructive and nuisance of an existence. He also had his family to think of. With Inuyasha being so young and Izaiyoi being a human there stood a greater chance that Ryuukotsei would try to capture or kill them to draw him into battle. He also didn't want to leave behind a foe such as this one for Sesshoumaru to handle. It was not that he didn't have faith in his son's abilities but it was never his intention to have his son finish his battles.

It was settled. This would be the last battle with Ryuukotsei. Inutaisho relayed the information to all of the soldiers and servants within the castle. Izaiyoi and Sesshoumaru were the first to be informed. Sesshoumaru knew that the battle would be a long and dangerous one. Ryuukotsei was a long time foe of his father. As much as he wanted the constant battles to end he wasn't sure that Ryuukotsei was telling the truth about a one on one battle. Of course Inutaisho already knew this and was planning accordingly.

That night, Inutaisho left the castle. Though the battle was not to be until the morning, he felt it would be best to distance himself and concentrate on the battle ahead. Sesshoumaru was not the one to be in battle but he felt a hint of nervousness. He decided to follow his father's scent. He found him near the beach. The snow had begun to fall, melting as it hit the icy waters. For a moment Sesshoumaru stared at his father's back, unsure of how to begin.

"Father…do you insist on fighting this battle?"

"Sesshoumaru…would you try to stop me?" his father responded

Sesshoumaru couldn't tell him that he wanted to. He couldn't tell him that he felt an uneasiness building within. He couldn't tell him that he was truly scared of losing him. Fear was not allowed.

"No. However, if this battle does not go how you have planned, then I request that Tetsusaiga be left to me."

In honesty, Sesshoumaru had not meant to sound as if he thought his father would lose. He couldn't put his true feelings into words so he omitted them all together.

"Do you require power so much Sesshoumaru, that you would insinuate my demise?"

"Father, the path that I walk is one of supreme conquest; It is the power with the aid of Tetsusaiga that will reveal the way for me."

He smirked at his son's reply, almost not believing how cold hearted he could be. He knew that Sesshoumaru was not ready to take on the responsibility as a true ruler if he were to die that day. How unfortunate. However, he would give his son one last chance to prove him wrong. Would he be able to trust that Sesshoumaru would protect Izaiyoi and Inuyasha if he were to die? If not then he knew exactly what he would tell Myoga later on and who he would visit that night.

"Supreme conquest huh. Tell me Sesshoumaru, have you someone to protect?"

Sesshoumaru was thrown off by this question. He could not think of anyone he had to protect. Izaiyoi and Inuyasha had been under the protection of his father, surely he did not expect him to take the human and the half-breed under his wing. His father never expected it before. In fact he deterred it after the threat against Inuyasha's life and had made it painfully clear only a month ago.

"Someone to protect? The answer is no. I Sesshoumaru have no one to protect".

With that the dog general made up his mind. Somewhat disappointed and angered he transformed into his true form. It was time he made a few of his last requests clear, just in case. Without a doubt in his mind now, he knew that he would have to inform Myoga to move Izaiyoi and Inuyasha to an undisclosed human village if he were to reach his demise. Sesshoumaru would not know where they were taken. He would also inform Myoga to leave the Tensaiga to Sesshoumaru and the Tetsusaiga would be placed within the black pearl within Inuyasha's eye which was to also be his gravesite. Kisime would also need to be informed about the power of Tenseiga, there was also something he needed to leave with her.

Sesshoumaru watched his father leave as the low waves gently crashed and retreated from the shore. "Someone to protect? Ridiculous".

…

The battle between Ryuukotsei and Inutaisho waged for three days. The dragon and dog general had been evenly matched. With a desperate attempt to end things with Ryuukotsei, Inutaisho had sealed him with his fang, however the dragon's blows had been brutal and detrimental.

Inutaisho made his way to return to his home when he was ambushed by the dragon clan. The dog general's soldiers had anticipated this and were soon battling them to Inutaisho's aid. However, Ryuukotsei's wounds and the fatigue that had set in after the battle overtook the dog general. Upon his death, both sides retreated.

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Preview, final chapter, Ch 18- Vow for Power - The crowning of the young lord of the West welcomes an angry vow!


	18. Chapter 18: Vow for Power

_**Chapter 18-Vow for Power **_

Sesshoumaru felt emptiness as he paced the floor of the main room, awaiting word. The servants noticed that he had been like this since his father left to battle Ryuukotsei. It wasn't like Sesshoumaru to show any sign of worry. The servants and even the guards tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to think of something other than the battle that waged on. In honesty, he wanted to watch the battle but he knew that this would not be possible because he would be viewed as another threat to Ryuukotsei.

The messenger, Ikagi, entered the castle and bowed to Sesshoumaru.

"Lord Sesshoumaru", Ikagi addressed him. With that formal address, Sesshoumaru felt everything around him fall down. The only thing that was holding was the mask that he had created and even that started to crack. He did everything to remain standing but leaning his back against the nearby wall served as a greater support than his legs.

Ikagi continued to speak, noticing his lord's sudden shift in stance.

"…Lord Inutaisho is dead. He and Ryuukotsei battled for three days. They were evenly matched. In an attempt to end the battle, your father sealed the vile dragon with his fang. Upon our return home we were ambushed by the dragon clan. Your father and the soldiers fought bravely fending off the dragons but your father's wounds were too great. The battle ended with your father's collapse. I am sorry Lord Sesshoumaru."

"I understand." Sesshoumaru replied feeling that those two words had taken his air away. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. Ikagi bowed and left the room. But he didn't understand. Nothing was clear. He slammed his fist into the wall behind him and allowed himself to slide down it. 'He can't be dead. I should've gone. I should've told him…everything.' Sesshoumaru sat for a moment, defeated, trying to understand. He needed to see him with his own eyes. Nothing was real; it had to be a dream. His father would never lose!

…

Totosai, the demon sword smith who created Tensaiga and Tetsusaiga, was also a close and long time friend of Inutaisho's and Myoga's. Myoga bound onto his shoulder.

T: "Oh…if it isn't Myoga. What are you doing here?"

M: "Totosai, I have come to inform you that Lord Inutaisho is dead. We must act quickly to carry out his last will."

T: "Oh my. Say, how old are his sons?"

M: "Inuyasha is roughly four and Sesshoumaru is around sixteen. According to their father, the Tensaiga should go to Sesshoumaru and the Tetsusaiga needs to be placed in the black pearl along with their father and placed in Inuyasha's right eye."

T: "Hmm…strange request but that will do. Say we had better get to Inutaisho before the older pup does. I do remember him expressing something about keeping the Tetsusaiga out of his hands. Something about the pup not being fit to wield it I think."

M: "Don't worry, that's already been taken care of, I asked Ikagi deliberately to wait to give Sesshoumaru the news so that Izaiyoi could be given the swords to hide until we could properly dispose of them. She is back at the castle, but as Inutaisho requested she will be moved as soon as possible along with Inuyasha to a human village for their safety."

T: "Safety? From who? I would think no place would be safer than the castle."

M: "His lordship had reason to believe that Sesshoumaru would do them harm. The two had not been on the greatest of terms in regard to Izaiyoi and Inuyasha's presence."

T: "I see, that's why he doesn't feel that Sesshoumaru is fit to wield the sword."

M: "Yes. There is more information that I will fill you in on in the coming days but right now I have much ahead of me. You will know all the master's plans in due time.

…

Sesshoumaru approached the great white dog demon. It was customary for demons to return to their true form only a little while after their death if they had not died in that form. If it had not been for the blood and indented patches of fur, Sesshoumaru would have guessed that his father was merely sleeping in his true form. Feeling his heart beat speed and his insides begin to ache he felt the need to transform in order to pay true respect to the fallen general. His facial features shifted forward with the elongation of his face and muzzle. The wind whirled around him. With a roar he came out of his shell of a human form. Though his size would have made most demons run in fear, his father's form would have destroyed them from shock alone. Slowly, he approached his father's form, silently hoping that he would get up and tell him that he was fine.

Sniffing, licking, pawing and allowing low growls and whimpers to escape he examined the wounds that had been inflicted. Many were deep and showed straight down to the organs encased by the bones. Bones were broken here and there, patches of fur were missing obviously where Ryuukotsei had bitten or gripped. The fang was missing that had sealed Ryuukotsei as well as the coveted Tetsusaiga . Feeling that he could gain no more but not yet wanting to leave he laid down at his father's side, allowing his head to rest on his front paws, he closed his eyes, asking for sleep to take his pain away. He missed how, on cold nights, he and his father would transform into their true forms to stay warm. When he was a puppy he would curl into a tight ball and bury himself as deep as possible into the fur of his father's stomach. He especially loved it when his father would curl his large tail in to provide further warmth. With these thoughts in mind, the young lord fell asleep.

…

Sesshoumaru woke with a wide yawn following. Fully awake now, he realized that his father's form was missing. Though Sesshoumaru felt that his father had been stolen from him somehow, he knew that his father's form and soul had moved to its chosen resting place. Looking up to see the moon shine down on him, he felt some peace overcome him.

'Father, what do I do now? You weren't supposed to die. I need you.'

Sesshoumaru left those thoughts with the moon that night and headed for home. Without addressing anyone, he went straight to bed.

…

The next morning, Sesshoumaru searched for Izaiyoi and Inuyasha but could not find them within the castle. In the study he found a note explaining that Izaiyoi and Inuyasha had been moved to an undisclosed area. To make matters worse, he had inherited Tensaiga. Sesshoumaru was furious. How could his father do something so heartless? As if moving Izaiyoi and Inuyasha without his knowledge was not bad enough he had not even left him the sword he requested.

'Father, did you distrust me so much? Did you think that even in your death that I would kill the ones that you cared for more than me? If that is the way in which you saw me then surely I will make it my priority to prove you right! I will find Tetsusaiga and I will surpass you in power. I will become a perfect ruler, unlike you. You let emotions get in your way, a fatal flaw, something that I will never allow myself to fall victim to. It was because of your human wench and that half-breed that you made the decision to try and end things with Ryuukotsei. I will see to it that they understand that sacrifice to its fullest! I will search for Tetsusaiga no matter how long it takes and I will destroy the wretched creation that I vowed to kill so many years ago'.

With that Sesshoumaru balled the paper up and allowed his poison to melt it. He left the castle, vowing that he would accomplish his goal. And so the search for Tetsusaiga began!

* * *

So that's the end. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again to those who read, reviewed and/or favorited this story! I hope to write more. I actually posted a one shot and am about to post another!

One last time - Leave a Review , Thanks :)


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